Here’s How President Trump and His VP Plan to Get Their Space Force

WHAT THE DONALD WANTS… U.S. President Donald Trump is not giving up on his dream of a Space Force, Congressional budget be damned. On Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence delivered a speech at the Pentagon stating the case for a new military branch focused on defending America’s interests in space and laying out a plan to bring it to fruition.

“The time has come to establish the United States Space Force, and that’s what brings us here today,” said Pence. He then revealed that the Department of Defense would release a report later in the day outlining the steps needed to create this new military branch.

THE PLAN. According to Pence, the report includes the first four actions the administration will take to establish the Space Force. Those are:

The creation of the U.S. Space Command. “This new command structure for the physical domain of space led by a four-star flag officer will establish unified command and control for our space force operations, ensure integration across the military, and develop the war fighting doctrine tactics and techniques of the future,” said Pence.

The creation of the Space Operations Force. This will be an “elite group of joint war fighters specializing in the domain of space,” and it will draw its ranks from men and women from across the military, according to Pence.

The creation of the Space Development Agency. This agency will streamline the process of ensuring the Space Force has the tools and technologies it needs when it needs them.

The creation of a role called the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space. This person will oversee the Space Force and report to the Secretary of Defense. Eventually, the role will lose the “assistant” distinction to become the Secretary of Defense for Space.

THE GOAL. According to Pence, “It is not enough to have an American presence in space. We must have American dominance in space.” The Trump administration believes the Space Force will allow it to accomplish that goal, and the nation now has at least the beginnings of a plan to bring its fifth military branch to fruition.

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